Nicole Reads A Lot

so many books, so little time

Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

on August 8, 2011
Title:Unclaimed
Author:Courtney Milan
Publication Date:August 27, 2011
Publisher's DescriptionHer only hope for survival…

Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London—and he’s known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he’s waited for all his life.

Is to ruin the man she loves…

But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark’s enemies make her an offer she can’t refuse: seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she’s sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs…and the love she knows is impossible.
My rating:****
I really liked this book. It had a lot to say about living up, or down, to others’ expectations, and how easy it is for others’ perceptions of us to color our own feelings of worthiness. I also liked the lesson about how something written with one intent could easily be perverted into something else entirely. Most of all, I enjoyed how Mark wasn’t perfect. I shudder to think of how saintly and sanctimonious he might have been in the hands of a lesser author, but Courtney Milan was ably up to the challenge of making him relatable to mere mortals such as myself.  Jessica, too, resonated with me. When faced with making a very real choice between her conscience and her next meal, and without any idea of how she’d fare if she failed at her task, she managed to come up with a solution that satisfied both her concerns. This is the second Courtney Milan book that I’ve read and enjoyed this year (after Unlocked), and I eagerly look forward to her next offering.

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